Tire Blowouts: The Silent Killer on the Road

Are you familiar with the scary moment when you encounter tire blowouts? A driver’s worst nightmare can be a loud boom followed by a jolting sensation that sends their vehicle out of control. Tire blowouts are not only terrifying but also perilous, causing hundreds of car accidents each year.

In this blog, we’ll take a look at the causes, aftermath, and prevention of tire blowouts, as well as the legal ramifications of tire blowout accidents. Fasten up to join us on this ride!

Every year more than 2,000 tire blowouts result in fatal accidents, says the National Transportation Safety Board. Though this number is less when compared to other tire-related accidents (which add up to 33,000 annually), tire blowouts can cause the worst accidents with a higher fatality rate.

According to the NHTSA, in 2017 alone, around 740 people lost their lives to tire blowout accidents in the United States.

Have you encountered a tire explosion? Are you injured and planning to pursue a lawsuit? Know how a medical record review company can come to your aid.

What is a Tire Blowout?

A tire blowout is the loud explosion of a vehicle tire and its swift deflation while driving. This occurs as the result of a rapid pressure release from the tire, which makes the vehicle go out of control of the driver.

Do you know what causes tire blowouts?

Tire blowouts can happen due to a variety of reasons. Let’s have a deep analysis of tire blowout causes.

Under-Inflation or Over-Inflation

When tires are underinflated, they generate greater heat. This over-flexing causes a tire blowout. Do you know what tire pressure causes a blowout? A tire with less than 70% hot inflation pressure is known as underinflated, which would potentially cause a tire blowout.

Even when the inflation pressure is more than the recommended level, a tire blowout can occur. Staying within the maximum tire pressure mentioned in the tire wall is advisable for a safe ride. Improper inflation causes the tire to wear unevenly leading to a side or center tire blowout.

Manufacturing Defects or Installation Errors

A manufacturing defect is a common cause of tire blowouts. A minor tire defect may not be visible from the outside but can turn out to be fatal when the tire pressure detaches the rubber from the metal frame.

A wrongly installed tire also can lead to a tire blowout. To prevent a catastrophic blowout, be sure that a qualified mechanic installs your car’s tires.

Poor Road Conditions

Poor road conditions like potholes can damage your tires even without your knowledge. Every time the tire goes over a pothole, it may not blow it up, but it damages the tire considerably so that it can burst anytime.

Driving over nails, debris, or sharp objects can also lead to tire blowouts. Avoiding potholes or carefully driving over them can save your tires.

Worn-out Tires

Riding your car with old or worn-out tires is like inviting the danger yourself. Replacing the old tires at a recommended interval can save lives.

Don’t think that only worn-out tires can be dangerous. Even if your tires are comparably new but uneven, they can lead to tire blowout accidents. Rotate the tires as per the manufacturer’s guidance to help them wear down evenly. (Swapping the tires between the front and the rear or side to side is called rotating the tires.)

Regrooved Tires

Some truckers regroove their old tires to cut down the expenses and extend the tire usage by increasing the friction. However, this regrooving can lead to tire blowouts as it reduces the thickness of the tire. Regrooving is not a wise decision if you prioritize safety.

Punctures

One can’t always avoid the debris and sharp objects on the road while driving. However, a periodic inspection of your tires can save lives and money. A sharp nail or a glass shard can slowly deflate your tires and end up in a blowout when unexpected.

Inadequate Maintenance

Vehicles are to be inspected periodically to ensure the condition and safety of the tires. A nail in the tire, an uneven or a deflated tire can go unnoticed if you neglect maintenance.

Overload

Overloading your vehicle with more than the recommended weight can apply more pressure on the tires. Even a minor defect like a puncture, or going over a pothole can blowout your tire ruining your trip and life.

Aftermath of Tire Blowouts

Loss of control

If a tire blows out while driving at high speeds, the car will veer in the direction of the blown-out tire. It will be extremely strenuous for the driver to maneuver the vehicle. This sudden swerve will push the car towards the oncoming traffic and collide with the vehicles in the nearby lanes.

If this happens to a car, imagine the devastation produced by a rapid blowout of a truck or trailer tire. The force of the explosion would be more, and when combined with the size and weight of the truck, balancing it would become impossible.

The truck may topple over in some circumstances, crushing pedestrians and even smaller vehicles.

Flying debris

Due to a sudden tire blowout, debris from the blown-out tire will be propelled into the surrounding areas with great force. It can, in turn, damage the vehicles nearby and injure other passengers and pedestrians.

A massive truck tire blowout will send the debris at a higher speed and velocity, fatally devastating the lives of people nearby.

Panicked drivers

On hearing the loud tire explosions, the other drivers may panic in fear of being hit by the veering-out truck or car. They may try to brake aggressively or swerve to save themselves. This panic may lead to more accidents as the sudden braking will make the vehicles spin at dangerous speeds.

Loose cargo

The dangerous swaying of a gigantic truck/trailer or a vehicle loaded with cargo may make it more unrestrainable as the loose cargo move in different directions. A possible rollover or expelling of the cargo in front of the vehicles coming behind would cause a potential hazard to initiate a chain of further accidents.

Injuries Caused by Tire Blowouts

Can a tire blowout kill you? There are more chances of a fatality when a truck’s tire blows out. The occupant, as well as the people in the surrounding areas, will be highly at risk of losing their lives. However, not all tire blowouts cause deaths but can leave you with detrimental injuries like the ones listed below.

• Head injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Lacerations
• Nerve injuries
• Broken bones
• Amputations
• Burns
• Soft tissue injuries
• Paralysis
• Death

What should you do if you have a tire blowout?

Though the tire blowouts are misfortunate occurrences, the driver’s presence of mind plays a major role in deciding the outcome of the accidents. If the driver of that vehicle panics, it increases the chances of vehicle pile-ups and multiple fatalities.

Taking wise but quick decisions needs a calm mind. In the name of safeguarding oneself, one should not act hastily. Let’s see some guidelines advised by the NHTSA on how to act if your vehicle’s tire blows out while driving.

• Stay calm and have complete control of your steering wheel.
• Never slam on the brakes to stop the vehicle.
• Decelerate slowly to make the car in control.
• Steer slowly towards the direction of where you need your vehicle to move.
• Once your vehicle comes under your control, try to move towards a safer zone.
• Turn on your hazard flashers to alert other vehicles.

Safe Driving Habits that Can Help Prevent Tire Blowouts

Prevention is always better than cure! It is true in the case of tire blowout accidents. If you follow certain safe driving habits, you can escape a deadly tire blowout accident.

• Maintain proper tire pressure and make it a habit to check it regularly.
• While filling your tires, make sure they are neither under or over-inflated.
• Never overload the vehicle unless you are ready to compromise on safety.
• Replace worn-out tires as per the schedule.
• Avoid using defective tires.
• A mechanic check and maintenance on time can save your as well as others’ lives.
• Excessive speed and frequent sudden braking can make your tires become very hot and lose their integrity. Maintain a safer speed.
• Avoid rushing over potholes and debris.

How to handle a tire blowout accident legally?

When encountering a tire blowout accident, try to move to safer parking and check for your injuries. Your adrenaline rush may suppress your pain. However, having a thorough check can save you from pain and suffering.

Call the police and make sure every detail is documented in the collision report. Exchange information with the other drivers involved. Try to gather pictures of the accident zone and the condition of the vehicles as well as your injuries.

Collate witness testimony from eyewitnesses and document them. Collect their contact information for future needs.

Seek medical attention right away and ensure the medical documentation of all your initial and progressing symptoms, pain level, and other details of the injuries and diagnosis.

Getting compensation is the only way to relieve your financial burden. Whether your car caused the accident or you are injured in another car tire blowout, you are eligible for compensation at least from your insurance provider or car manufacturer.

Look out for an expert attorney to analyze your case and steer your tire blowout injury lawsuit forward. File your claim within the statute of limitation of your state to make it more valid.

Having a well-experienced medical record review company to sift through your medical records can assist you and your attorney in building your claim on a strong foundation.

Who is liable in a tire blowout accident?

Liability of a tire blowout accident depends on the circumstances that led to the accident. Determining the degree of fault lies in the close observation of the scene and what caused the tire blowouts.

Mainly the following people can be held liable for a tire blowout accident.

• Tire manufacturer- in the case of manufacturing or design defect of the tire caused the accident.
• Dealer or a mechanic- if under or over-inflation is the culprit of the tire blowouts or any tire installation error is involved.
• Government entity- if the poor road conditions like potholes accelerated the tire explosion.
• Driver- if he failed to control his vehicle despite having a possibility of doing it, or when he fails to take note and replace the worn-out tires.

Damages Claimed in a Tire Blowout Accident

• Past and future medical expenses
• Lost earnings and loss of earning potential
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium
• Property damage
• Emotional anguish
• Disability (if catastrophic injuries lead to partial or complete paralysis)
• Wrongful death (if any death)
• Punitive damages (if negligence is proved)

Tire Blowout Settlements

As per the lawsuit info center, a pickup truck was being driven by a man on a congested four-lane highway. The truck’s tire burst, sending it careening into the guardrail and flipping it over onto the opposite side of the road.

Upon landing, the truck struck a car. The truck driver was not seriously hurt, but the automobile driver passed away at the scene of the collision.

The truck driver was sued by the decedent’s family. Investigations revealed that the tire’s flaw was what ultimately led to the blowout and accident. The maker of tires was the target of that lawsuit.

The pickup truck driver was found to have 20% fault for the tragic collision, while the tire manufacturer was found to be responsible for 80% of it in court.

The widow of the deceased was awarded $5 million as compensation for the wrongful death car accident. Additionally, the jury mandated that the tire manufacturer pay punitive damages of $9 million.

In another incident reported by the Daily Voice, a salesman in his 50s was on his way to a business call in Aug, 2018. He pulled over to a turnpike shoulder road in Middlesex. At that time, an SUV’s rear tire blew out, spinning it over many lanes and crashing the plaintiff’s car.

He sustained a traumatic brain injury and spent many months in the rehabilitation center. He could not return to his job, and his wife had to quit her job to take care of him.

His attorney John G. Mennie proved that the SUV’s 14-year-old tire was placed on it a few weeks before but was not replaced with a new one.

The plaintiff was able to secure a $9 million settlement in that tire blowout lawsuit.

Do you want to get a well-deserving settlement in your tire blowout claim? LezDo TechMed has years of experience in handling medical record reviews for claims on tire blowouts.

To sum up,

Tire blowouts cannot be neglected as a mere tire failure or a breakdown. A tire blowout can disrupt a high-speeding vehicle as its velocity, momentum, direction of speed, etc. A panicked driver cannot handle an uncontrollably spinning vehicle.

Great and safe driving skills and frequent safety check can save one from a deadly tire blowout. Even if we are not at fault, tire blowouts in other vehicles also can play havoc on our lives.

Though we cannot protect ourselves from such instances, an experienced tire blowout attorney can help us bag lump-sum reparations to manage the financial crisis while facing medical expenses.

Be a responsible driver to avoid tire blowouts! Check tires, save lives!